Nom Nom Probiotics Stand the Test of Time

Veterinary probiotics are becoming a popular supplement choice among dog parents, working to support their companions’ digestive and gut health, immune system, and overall well-being. Of course, with a variety of products on the market and plenty of competitors promoting health benefits that can feel too good to be true, parents just want to know that they’re buying a quality product that meets their claims.

Our probiotic supplements just completed a year-long evaluation of their product stability. Spoiler alert — across the board, our probiotics retained acceptable viable bacteria claims, all year long. 

What sets us apart 

While the availability of veterinary probiotics continues to grow, quality control studies have found that pet-specific products consistently fall short of what’s on their label. A study in 2003 identified that only 2 of 23 veterinary probiotics were appropriately marketed, and similarly a study in 2011 found that only 2 of 25 commercial probiotics for pets lived up to their label. 

These trials not only revealed that most probiotics don’t meet their viable growth claims, but that many did not even list clear live culture claims — some just provided a general amount of probiotics added without indication of how that translated to viable growth, and others listed nothing at all. Yikes.

Product labels were also commonly missing the specific microorganisms (single-celled organisms such as bacteria and yeast) present within the probiotics. Frequently, the listed species were even misspelled. Double yikes.

But that’s not even the worst of it: some products were missing some of the species on their label, contained no viable organisms whatsoever or were found to contain unlisted organisms with no known benefits and even potentially pathogenic effects. 

The clear lack of reliable products and regulation is astonishing, which is why we’re proud to create trustworthy, transparent probiotics. But don’t take our word for it, read the evidence for yourself. 

Stability Testing Results

We had our probiotics tested for a full year at a reliable third-party laboratory to ensure consistency from the first scoop to the last.

For dogs, we offer Full Spectrum and GI targeted probiotic supplements, both of which contain at least 10 billion colony forming units (CFU) per gram. 

(A CFU, by the way, is how bacteria are quantified in the lab.) 

The probiotic is diluted and grown, and each colony that grows is then counted. In other words the CFUs are the number of viable and active living microorganisms (beneficial bacteria and yeasts) found in each gram of supplement. With a recommended serving size of 2 grams, that's 20 billion total live cultures per scoop!

Looking at the charts below, it's clear both our canine products were consistently close to — and often exceeded — the correct dose.

We’ve got nothing to hide 

In addition to accurately offering the total live cultures per serving on our probiotics label, we clearly list all contents found in each product, including the specific microorganisms used in each unique probiotic blend.

That said, if you’re reading the label, you may notice some additional ingredients besides probiotics. That’s because our probiotics are technically synbiotics, meaning they also contain prebiotics — non-digestible ingredients, commonly sourced from a class of fermentable fibers that stimulate the growth of healthy gut bacteria and help support immune and gastrointestinal health.  

Synbiotics were named due to the “synergy” between probiotics and prebiotics in the gut, together helping to produce a more ideal outcome for dogs. 

We know, we know — it’s a little confusing to keep track of. But the point is that our probiotics can potentially provide even more than what the average probiotic promises. 

Quality, efficacy and control

Research has found that our Full Spectrum probiotics for dogs can beneficially alter the bacterial species in your dog’s gut and reduce the risk of diarrhea in the future. With more studies under development, we’re constantly working to enhance the quality and science behind our products and create the most appetizing and effective supplements for your dog.  

While current regulatory guidelines for probiotics are scarce, particularly for pet specific products, we choose to operate under strict regulations to create consistent, high quality and long lasting products. We scrutinize our products so you don’t have to.

Currently we offer our probiotics as powders that can be easily added to your dog's meal, designed to be given just once a day. So if you're on the hunt for a premium probiotic supplement for your pup, give ours a shot, they’re stable, reliable, and exactly what they say they are — what more could you ask for?